children’s books

Non-Fiction Review: 1,000 Facts About Ancient Egypt

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1,000 Facts about Ancient Egypt by Nancy Honovich
1,000 Facts about Ancient Egypt 
by Nancy Honovich

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


Everything you ever wanted to know about Ancient Egypt is in this book! There are facts, figures, and wild details about mummies, pyramids, the sphinx, the pharaohs, and the everyday lives of regular Egyptians.

I loved how the information is presented in small sections that would keep a child’s attention, and make it easy to read. Each two-page spread focuses on a category of Egyptian life: inventions, government, religion and temples, women rulers, games and art, food and trade, royal life, beauty and fashion, weapons and soldiers, the Nile river, and of course mummies and pyramids, along with a dozen other fascinating subjects. Continue reading →

Comic Review: Snug Harbor Stories

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Snug Harbor Stories by Will Henry
Snug Harbor Stories: A Wallace the Brave Collection! 
by Will Henry

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


I can’t get enough of Wallace and his friends! Once again, I wish I could give this comic 10 stars!

Wallace, Amelia, and Spud are off on another set of minor adventures in the woods and creeks around Snug Harbor. They spend their days hunting the Sasquatch, tracking a prehistoric turtle named Gramps, playing basketball, making blanket forts, eating pancakes in the shape of a top hat, and ducking out of their schoolwork.

I love how imaginative Wallace is! He can take the smallest bit of nothing and turn it into a wild adventure, dragging his friends along with him.
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Graphic Novel Review: Dear Justice League

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Dear Justice League by Michael Northrop
Dear Justice League 
by Michael Northrop (Author), Gustavo Duarte (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Are the Justice League heroes always perfect? Or do they sometimes make mistakes, eat too much cake, smell like fish, make bad fashion choices, lose the video game, or leave a job half-done?
The Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Hawkgirl, Cyborg, and Aquaman answer all their fan mail from kids who wonder, “Are superheroes just like me?”

I loved the way the hilarious fan mail stories are woven into a bigger story as the Justice League battles an invasion of insectoid aliens. The writing is really clever to bring together so many different snippets of superhero life with little glimpses of the regular kids who are their most devoted fans. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Neil Armswan

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Wild Bios by Courtney Acampora
Wild Bios: Neil Armswan 
by Courtney Acampora, Maggie Fischer,  Zoe Persico 

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

“One small step for swan, one giant leap for birdkind.”
This colorful board book tells the story of Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon, but with a cast of animal characters, and hilarious animal puns.

This book follows his life story and legacy, starting from when Neil “Armswan” grew up as the oldest of his “flock” with two siblings. Neil learns to fly, becomes an Eagle Scout, and serves in the Korean War where he receives three air medals as a naval aviator. He becomes a test pilot, and falls in love, starting his own “flock” with his lovebird “Gannet”. They “migrate” to Houston with their “cygnets”, where Neil launches into orbit in the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions, leaving “webbed” footprints on the Moon.

I loved the silly puns and adorable animal characters! The whole book is so bright and funny, and the legacy and accomplishments are truly inspiring. The writing is perfect to read aloud with young children, and the illustrations are engaging with interesting details in the background to capture the attention of little readers.

This book is also well-timed with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, when so many people are celebrating that national accomplishment, and little ones might be wondering what it’s all about. Continue reading →

Book Review: Lost Kitties Collector’s Guide

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Hasbro Lost Kitties Collector's Guide by Maggie Fischer
Hasbro Lost Kitties Collector’s Guide 
by Maggie Fischer

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


This collector’s guide give the details of every Hasbro Lost Kitties toy, along with their bio, their favorite food, their hobbies, motto, life dream, and a hilarious meme for each kitten. The book includes various half-page kitty memes and a poster in the back that says “You have cat to be kitten me right now.”

The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the memes are full of silly misspellings and puns. Each kitty is different and the designs are adorable!

Although most of them are cute and fun and innocent, I found a few slightly questionable kitties with weird bios. For instance, there is Drizzle, the kitty with an OCD paranoia of germs who is constantly bathing. He’s “gripped with the inescapable horror that [germs] are everywhere and on everything. Drizzle once downed a whole bottle of bubble mix because he thought it was just super-clean soap, and farted bubbles for three days.”
Another kitty, Peekerz, is terrified of open spaces, and stays inside her cardboard box all the time. Continue reading →

Picture Book Review: Lost Kitties #NOMZ

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Hasbro Lost Kitties Level 3 Squad Goals by Maggie Fischer
Hasbro Lost Kitties Level 3 Squad Goals: #NOMZ 
by Maggie Fischer

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


The Lost Kitties are having some eating issues. Some kitties only want to eat fish, others make their hot sauce way too hot, and one kitty can’t get his toaster to work. From tacos to fancy caviar, these hungry kitties need their tummies filled with delicious food!

The illustrations are bright and colorful with adorable kitty characters on every page. I thought the reading skill level was perfect for young readers, and the chapters are short and fun. I liked the silly little problems that the kitties face, and how their kitty friends join in to help solve their difficulties together.

The only part that I didn’t like was the story about Stuffs, the kitty who works as a food critic. He is known for his reputation as a fancy eater, but his secret favorite food is French fries. He gorges himself on massive amounts of French fries. At one point, he eats “…twelve extra large cartons of fries” in one sitting.

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Picture Book Review: Lost Kitties #ADORBS

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Hasbro Lost Kitties Level 3 Squad Goals by Maggie Fischer
Hasbro Lost Kitties Level 3 Squad Goals: #ADORBS 
by Maggie Fischer

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


These cute little kitties are into all sorts of hijinks, pranks, and kerfuffle…
Nap-kin can’t find a decent place to nap.
Bon-bon keeps baking and baking, but the kitties tummies are never full.
Francis gets a crick in his tail that only some relaxing yoga can undo.
Prankster Pants mixes sugar into the soap and it attracts a garden full of butterflies.
Memez is practicing for a music contest, but his dance moves are uninspiring until the dancing kitties tell him that the “best dance moves are the ones that make you feel like yourself.”

I love the cute storylines and funny little dramas! The illustrations are full of bright colors and hearts and rainbows. The writing is perfect for this reading level, and the fun comedy and short chapters keep it interesting.
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Book Review: SpaceKid iLK

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Spacekid iLK by Andrew Hammond
Spacekid iLK: Invasion 101 
by Andrew Hammond 

4 out of 5 stars

iLK is a normal alien boy, flying around with his parents in a spaceship and invading planets. But when iLK’s father conquers Earth, he gets tired of being the supreme ruler of such a boring planet, and gives the job to iLK to teach him some responsibility. Earth is soon in danger, and it’s up to iLK to save the planet with the help of some friendly Earthlings!

I thought this book was hilarious! The writing is so clever and silly, and the plot is really imaginative. I loved the world-building with the aliens, and their culture of invasion and world domination. I especially enjoyed the complex family dynamics between iLK and his parents.
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Picture Book Review: The Green Giant

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The Green Giant by Katie Cottle
The Green Giant 
by Katie Cottle

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


When she goes to visit her grandfather in the country, Bea discovers a green giant made of plants in the greenhouse next door. They have a lovely summer together, playing, swinging from trees, flying kites, and jumping rope with vines. But soon, Bea has to return to the city, and the green giant gives her a magical gift.

I thought this story was charming! The giant tells Bea all about when he was a young sapling in the city, and how he had to move out to the country because of all the pollution that made it hard for him to breathe.
Bea herself is an adorable character. Curious and sweet, she enjoys simple summer activities and is friendly to everyone (and every plant).

I like the crayon look of the art style, but the artwork isn’t very polished or symmetrical. Sometimes Bea’s eyes are different sizes, and the green giant’s design is severely lacking. He just has a plain smiley face for a face! Just two dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. I would have expected something a little more imaginative from an artist. And his body doesn’t seem like it has any structure. He’s a boneless blob of green and yellow leaves. He looks weird, instead of endearing.
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